Bacunayagua Bridge: One of the Seven Wonders of the Cuban Architecture

Cuba is an island that has many places to exploredid not go up to October of that year, when the
during your holidays and thousands of marvels to seeopening of the paths for the communication between
and to discover. One of this wonders is theHavana and Matanzas was officially settled.
Bacunayagua Bridge, built in the borders of HavanaThis impressive step that is 18 kilometers away to
Province and Matanzas.the west of the city of Matanzas and it establishes
Matanzas had the opportunity to inaugurate in thethe territorial limit with the county of Havana. To the
first year of the Revolution the longest and highestnorth of the bridge, the immense sea is sighted; the
bridge in Cuba until that moment. Its construction ischannel and the outlet of what should be the bed of
historically a crisscross with the Via Blanca (thea mighty river in a remote time, and to the south,
highway that connects Havana City and Varadero),the extensive and exuberant Valley of Yumurí.
begun by Carlos Prío Socarrás´The importance of that crossing for the Via Blanca
government, with the purpose of shortening theresides in that is the nearest and direct connection,
distance between Matanzas and Havana. A total offor the beautiful landscape of the Cuban north coast,
41 columns sustains the bridge of Bacunayagua,between the Tunnel of the capital of the country
those that were in its moment the most slender inand the City Spa of Varadero.
the world made of concrete.The beauty of the environment of Bacunayagua,
In 1957 the works of construction of the bridgefavored by the execution of that advanced project,
began, classified during that time as a colossal work,alternates with multitude of headlands, hillsides and
not only for its extension but for the height on anmangroves, natural refuge of great ornithological
immense cliff. Its columns possess a pile of 22.50importance where 74 species of birds cohabit with 16
meters each one, with a width of a meter for 1.60of reptiles and eight of amphibians. In the ecosystem
meters, and some reach the 42 meters high.of swamp of this area vegetable formations appear
On its bolsters there are 6 beams that weigh eachas the heath coastal xeroformo and the forest
one 47 tons, and that they were fused in the samesemideciduo, besides a rich and varied fauna with high
place the bridge was being built. In total the bridgepercent of endemism.
has a height 103 meters, with a longitude 314 metersThe magnitude and splendid image of the place can
and a width of 17. On September26, 1959, Fidelbe appreciated perfectly from the Mirador, located in
Castro Ruz and Celia Sanchez inspected the works,an elevation to the end west of the wonderful work.
the crossing for the splendid bridge constituted theThis is a unique invitation you must take during your
moment in that the road was inaugurated; although itholidays in the island.